MSGID: 1:317/3 63d9eae0   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Silver nanoparticles show promise in fighting antibiotic-resistant   
   bacteria    
      
     Date:   
         January 31, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Florida   
     Summary:   
         A new study found that small amounts of silver nanoparticles   
         combined with a low dose of a common antibiotic inhibited the   
         growth of resistant bacteria.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   In a new study, scientists with the University of Florida found that   
   a combination of silver nanoparticles and antibiotics was effective   
   against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   The researchers hope to turn this discovery into viable treatment for   
   some types of antibiotic-resistant infections. Antibiotic-resistant   
   infections kill more than a million people globally each year.   
      
   For centuries, silver has been known to have antimicrobial   
   properties. However, silver nanoparticles -- microscopic spheres of   
   silver small enough to operate at the cellular level -- represent a new   
   frontier in using the precious metal to fight bacteria.   
      
   In this study, the research team tested whether commercially available   
   silver nanoparticles boost the power of antibiotics and enable these   
   drugs to counter the very bacteria that have evolved to withstand them.   
      
   "We found that the silver nanoparticles and a common class of   
   broad-spectrum antibiotics called aminoglycosides work together   
   synergistically," said Daniel Czyż, senior author of the study and   
   an assistant professor in the UF/IFAS department of microbiology and   
   cell science.   
      
   "When combined with a small amount of silver nanoparticles, the amount of   
   antibiotic needed to inhibit the bacteria decreased 22-fold, which tells   
   us that the nanoparticles make the drug much more potent," Czyż   
   explained.   
      
   "In addition, aminoglycosides can have negative side effects, so   
   using silver nanoparticles could allow for a lower dose of antibiotic,   
   reducing those side effects."  The findings were both surprising and   
   exciting, said Autumn Dove, first author of the study and a doctoral   
   candidate studying microbiology and cell science in the UF/IFAS College   
   of Agricultural and Life Sciences.   
      
   "When I first saw the result, my first thoughts were, 'Wow, this   
   works!'" said Dove.   
      
   Over the last several decades, overuse of antibiotics had led to   
   the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and a decline in the   
   effectiveness of traditional antibiotic drugs, the researchers said. The   
   study's findings indicate that silver nanoparticles have the potential   
   to renew the effectiveness of some of these drugs.   
      
   "Let's say you get a bad burn on your hand, and it gets infected with   
   one of these resistant strains of bacteria," Dove said. "It's possible   
   that dressing that burn with a combination of silver nanoparticles   
   and antibiotics could both clear that infection and prevent those   
   resistant bacteria from spreading elsewhere."  Though antibiotics mainly   
   target bacteria, they can also damage human and animal cells. Using a   
   microscopic worm called C. elegans, the researchers confirmed that the   
   silver nanoparticles did not also make the antibiotic more toxic to   
   non-bacterial cells.   
      
   Building off the study's promising findings, the scientists next plan   
   to seek FDA authorization for clinical trials and work with UF Innovate   
   to patent an antimicrobial product that uses silver nanoparticles.   
      
   The silver nanoparticles used in the study were manufactured by the   
   Natural Immunogenics Corporation, which helped fund the study through   
   the UF Industry Partnerships Matching Grant Program. This program pairs   
   UF researchers with Florida-based technology and energy companies to   
   research and develop new products.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Infectious_Diseases # Pharmacology # Pharmaceuticals   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Bacteria # Microbes_and_More # Microbiology   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Nanotechnology # Construction # Civil_Engineering   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Silicone o Antibiotic_resistance o Glycogen o Endospore o   
             Cobalt o Economic_growth o Honey o Nanoparticle   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Florida. Original   
   written by Samantha Murray. Note: Content may be edited for style   
   and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Autumn S. Dove, Dominika I. Dzurny, Wren R. Dees, Nan Qin, Carmen C.   
      
         Nunez Rodriguez, Lauren A. Alt, Garrett L. Ellward, Jacob A. Best,   
         Nicholas G. Rudawski, Kotaro Fujii, Daniel M. Czyż. Silver   
         nanoparticles enhance the efficacy of aminoglycosides against   
         antibiotic- resistant bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2023;   
         13 DOI: 10.3389/ fmicb.2022.1064095   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230131183142.htm   
      
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